"I fell in the parking lot before my shift."

The premises line

The going-and-coming rule says an ordinary commute is not in the course of employment. It is judicial doctrine construing Labor Code § 3600(a)(2), not a statute of its own.

But the rule has an endpoint. California recognizes that employment generally begins when the employee arrives on the employer's premises — and a parking lot the employer owns, leases, maintains, or controls is commonly treated as part of them.

Which means the fall in the lot, on the stairs from the lot, or on the walkway between the lot and the door is frequently compensable even though the drive there was not.

What decides it

Who controls the lot? Owned or leased by the employer is the strongest case. A lot the employer designates, pays for, or requires you to use is next.

Were you required or directed to park there? A designated employee lot is materially different from public street parking.

How close in time and space to the workday? Arriving for a shift, leaving after one, or crossing during a paid break are all within it. Two hours early for personal reasons is a harder case.

Was the hazard part of the premises? A pothole, poor lighting, an unrepaired curb, ice, or an unsecured gate.

The second case worth checking

If the lot is owned or maintained by someone other than your employer — a shopping center, a building owner, a management company — that party can be liable in a separate civil case.

That matters because workers' compensation pays nothing for pain and suffering and a premises case does. In a fall producing a serious fracture or a head injury, the civil case is frequently the larger of the two. When a third-party case exists.